Meet The Creators

Get to know the brilliant Doppler creators and what they’re up to.

MEET: Insomnichord

At Crofters Rights

We sat down with Insomnichord on a Wednesday morning. We were in spoons (ever the professional meeting place) and the boys were ordering a fry up. Apparently, they’d had a late one last night. The chat that followed, fry up in hand, was one of the most erratic and entertaining that we’ve had. So sit back and strap up; it’s time to meet Insomnichord - the Bristol based ‘progdelic’ band consisting of guitarist Mat Balone, keyboardist Harrison Wright, bassist Mischa Dhar, drummer Zak de la Bedoyere and frontman Rollo Ellison. Apparently Mischa’s the ‘husband-material’ one.

(Disclaimer: Zak and Mischa weren’t there, but the rest of the boys did a good job of representing them)

Ok, where are you guys from?

M: I’m from Worcester. The England one. There’s an America Worcester. In Massachusetts. But I’m not from there.

H: I’m from a town near Portsmouth.

R: I’m a London boy, as are the other two.

And what do you guys study?

M: ...Um…

R: Do you really have to think about it that hard?

M: I was trying to think of something funny to say but yeah, Chemistry.

H: I do Philosophy and Spanish.

R: I do Classics

H: Zak does Spanish and French.

M: Mischa’s like a researcher now.

H: Yeah, he’s finished. Doing a masters in London.

R: It’s really complicated.

M: He’s like researching amputees. And Harrison lives in Spain.

H: For my year abroad, I’m back for Easter.

So, is this what you guys want to do as your career?

R: Ideally...whether that is possible or not, we’re going to give it a proper chance next year.

H: My back up idea was to be a teacher but I had to teach this year on my year abroad and I don’t want to do that.

What interests you?

R: I’ve got really bad at listening to music recently, I’m stuck in a rut.

M: Mainly listen to our own stuff.

R: What a prick.

M: *Laughs* No, I’ve been listening to The Verve and Ride lately.

H: As in last night?

M: As in last night. We really like The Horrors. That’s on My Walk to School playlist. That’s just the bangers, the top tunes.

R: Yeah, we’ve got quite a long walk to uni as well. What are your guys favourite tunes?

R: Uh recently I’ve been listening to Billy Joel, never listened to him as a kid so I’ve been catching up.

R: The greatest piece Art ever made is Ratatouille? That’s equally as horrible.

M: Greatest piece of Art ever made? We haven’t released it yet.

R: Awh mate, no. I can’t really follow that.

M: Just put ‘unanimously Rogue One’.

Ok, time to get a bit deeper. What does it mean to you to be creative?

H: To do your own thing.

M: Yeah do what you wanna do.

R: Try not to take too much influence from what’s going on around us.

M: Taking a bit. We have to take some. So stealing influence.

R: Yeah but also pretending we came up with it ourselves.

And, what do you do that helps you to stay creative?

M: Just being able to do it when you want to do it. Just things being accessible.

H: I like things being set up so I can just go and play instruments when I want.

So do you play a lot of instruments?

M: I only really play guitar.

R: I play a bit, like a small bit of everything. Cause I used to record demos on my own. So I can do the basics, but not well.

H: I can do the basics except drums, can’t do those.

M: Mischa plays loads though.

R: He’s incredibly talented at pretty much everything. Hate him. He normally plays what we play but better than that. I just want to invest in him as a person.

Is there anything you know know you do differently to most people?

M: I dunno in terms of a band, what’s our thing?

R: We’re always late....Also, I think we’re just a generic band, they’re probably so many kids in the same situation as us. Conformity, that’s the secret

M: This is a hard question, good question.

R: As a band we try to make it a democratic writing process. Sometimes people bring a finished product and sometimes everyone writes their own part around it.

M: Also some bands play stuff and it all sounds the same but I think we try, when we choose the songs for set we try to have a variety

So that’s your answer as a band, but what about if you answer this about each other?

R: Harrison wears very tight flares.

H: I have to wear them.

R: They don’t leave much to the imagination.

H: I’m actually wearing them under my trousers right now. No, they’re just for on stage. Bit too out there.

M: Can you imagine at like a Coombe Dingle exam.

H: It would probably put everyone off. It would be a power play.

M: Or inspire them.

R: It’s how Harrison gets his creative kicks - power plays.

If you’re having an off day, what’s the best way to cheer yourself up?

R: I like to play piano when I’m feeling a bit shit.

H: I’m exactly the same.

M: Me too, except I can’t play the piano so it just makes me feel worse.

R: That’s why we write the letters on for you.

M: No, really it’s kind of the same, so I’ll play guitar or…

R: Spend time with the woman in your life.

M: Yep, my girlfriend. What about Mischa?

R: I don’t think Mischa gets upset because they’re is literally no part of his life that isn’t amazing.

H: He’s got his First in his degree, he’s the best musician, he’s got his job sorted.

M: Yeah he did Psychology and now he’s doing a Neuroscience Masters so he’s just The Man.

R: He’s one of those people where he just has it all.

M: Devilishly handsome and he’s really nice.

R: And he’s also really humble.

H: What about Zak?

R: Zak fancies himself as a bit of a rapper. He told me he was making a mixtape last year, help himself get through a break up.

M: Don’t ever get in a car with him, he’ll just rap along to everything.

R: I love it, I love how much it annoys other people so I’ll always applaud it.

And, let’s flip it around, where’s your happy place?

R: Spoons. One Traditional Fry up deep and pint in hand.

M: Mine’s the recording studio.

M: I have to be busy, distractions keep me happy.

R: I also like being away from the city...

H: Yeah, long walks.

R: Okay so Harrison likes long walks.

Who is the most influential person in your life, especially for the influence on your music?

M: My Mum

R: You reckon?

M: Or maybe Robert Plant

R: It’s why you have so many posters of him in our house

M: He’s a rock god

R: For me, I had, when I was like 16, this bloke who encouraged me to start making music. Helped me do the first bits of it. And even though as a person, he is not the greatest, he helped me get the foot on the ladder

H: I had a lot of influence from my Grandad. He was into a lot of creative stuff and has always encouraged me to do creative stuff as well. He does his film editing so I tried to do things like he did

And....back to the band. How would you describe your music?

M: Good, sick tunes.

R: I don’t know how we’d describe it. I always say rock now, used to be psych rock.

M: If it was a meal at spoons it would be a Gourmet Medley.

R: The Mixed Grill.

What was the happiest moment of your career?

H: The gig last weekend was pretty good, at Crofters Rights.

M: I think Rockfields was a highlight for me.

H: Yeah, Rockfield’s as well.

M: There was something quite magical at Rockfield’s.

R: Tell me more about this magic.

Is it hard to fit in the gigging around Uni life?

R: What uni?

M: When Mischa and Harrison are back we tend to go quite hard…

R: Full stop.

H: Yeah when I’m in Bristol and all 5 of us are here, all our time is dedicated to the band so going back to normal life can be hard.

R: As long as no one mentions the phrase ‘double life’.

Final question, what would you do if you knew you could not fail?

R: Book Wembley Stadium.

M: Sell out the world. First sell-out North Pole gig.

R: I like how no one said ‘find the cure for cancer’, just the selfish music route.

A fun interview right? And their music is even better - check it out HERE.